Repository:
University of California, Irvine. Library. Special Collections and Archives.

Irvine, California 92623-9557

Abstract: The collection comprises over 100 photographic prints of Ruth St. Denis, who influenced the development of American modern
dance. The photographs feature St. Denis posing alone in costume, with fellow dancers, traveling, and at leisure with her
husband and partner, Ted Shawn. Several of the photographs are autographed by St. Denis and some have annotations on the
reverse.

Important Information for Researchers

Access

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their
heirs. Some of these materials are in the public domain. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the
Head of Special Collections and Archives.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Acquisition Information

Acquired, 2007.

Processing History

Processed by Cyndi Shein, 2008.

Biography

Ruth St. Denis was an innovative dancer, choreographer, and instructor who pioneered early forms of modern dance. Born Ruth
Dennis in Newark, New Jersey in 1877, she performed in musical comedies and vaudeville shows during her youth. She adopted
the stage name "Ruth St. Denis" in 1906 when she achieved success as a dance soloist in New York City. She approached dance
as a philosophical and spiritual experience rather than as entertainment, and incorporated Eastern and Western cultural and
religious themes into her work. In 1914 she married her dance partner, Ted Shawn, and in 1915 they founded Denishawn, a dance
school and company in Los Angeles. Denishawn was one of the first significant schools of dance in the United States, molding
young dancers such as Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey. The non-ballet movements developed at Denishawn became known as "modern
dance." St. Denis also founded the Society of Spiritual Arts, the dance department at Adelphi University, and the School of
Natya. She was often called the "first lady of American dance." She died in Los Angeles in 1968.

The collection comprises over 100 photographic prints of Ruth St. Denis, primarily featuring St. Denis posing in costume alone
or with fellow dancers. Many photographs include her husband and partner, Ted Shawn. Some of the dances portrayed include
The Cobra,
The Yogi,
The Peacock, and
The Nautch. The collection includes cabinet cards, professionally produced black-and-white prints, and personal snap shots of St. Denis
traveling and at leisure. Several of the photographs are autographed by St. Denis and some have annotations on the reverse.
The collection also includes a handwritten index, compiled by a previous owner, providing a brief description of the subject
of each print. Not all photographs are numbered and not all items listed in the index are represented in the collection.

Collection Arrangement

The photographs in this collection are numbered on the reverse and arranged in rough numerical order.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.